8/1/2006

The Evening Standard (London, England)

By Mark Prigg

THE drought is putting much of London's flora and fauna in danger.

Experts said today they have even spotted signs of autumn.

"We saw blackberries on 7 July and the leaves across London are already beginning to tint," said Kate Lewthwaite of the Woodland Trust, which monitors changes in seasons.

"It's looking like a very early autumn. This is having a big knock-on effect on wildlife, from the animals that need to stock up for the winter to birds just stopping over in this country. We are going to see almost every animal affected in some way."

According to the Trust, the biggest changes will occur in: Beech trees particularly sensitive to changes in water levels. Experts at the Woodland Trust say beech woods across London could be at risk.

Horse chestnut, birch, maple and rowan are also endangered.

Wetland birds

Birds such as the coot, tufted duck and moorhen, which often seek breeding sites on the edge of urban lakes and slow-moving rivers, will be affected.

Their nest sites become more vulnerable to predators as water levels go down.

Decreasing fish stocks will impact on species such as the kingfisher and heron.

Water voles

Become more vulnerable to predators where streams run low.

Water voles are Britain's fastest declining mammal. London's population of this shy creature is nationally significant.

Dragonflies

Rapid falls in water levels can have a drastic effect. In 1997, 90 per cent of a local dragonfly population was decimated when larvae were left high and dry.

Conkers

There will be a conker shortage this autumn as horse chestnut trees need water to produce them.

Because of the drought, trees are expected to produce very small conkers - or none at all.

Badgers

Dying because they aren't strong enough to find food to see them through the heatwave. They feed on earthworms but are finding it harder to get to them this year because the worms have burrowed deeper than normal to find water.

Harvests

Earlier than 1976, farmers say.

Ninety per cent of winter barley and 45 per cent of oilseed rape has already been gathered and combine harvesters are getting ready to bring in the wheat.

Banana, olive, avocado and fig trees

Producing edible fruit during the hot weather. Usually temperatures never get high enough for the fruit grown in this country to ripen. But this year it is so hot that gardeners will finally be able to eat the food growing on their trees.

Snakes

Grass snake and adder numbers are going up because they are flourishing in the heat.